DIY Support Network

So, you want to build your own house. That is amazing! You are amazing!

We know that you are about to take off on an exciting, rewarding adventure. We also realize that it is also a difficult, trying, and overwhelming task.

That's why we are here.

We formed to support each other because together,our individual dreams become reality.

Pain shared is pain divided. Joy shared is joy multiplied!

EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS

Building a house is not impossible. It's actually simple enough ... if you break it down into many steps! Trying to learn everything in a short amount of time is overwhelming. We believe the best way to gain confidence and knowledge is to dive into each topic and practice while you go. We teach educational workshops on every aspect of planning, designing and building tiny homes. Some of our topics include...

Determining how much space you need

Budgeting for your tiny house

Designing a floor plan

How to legally live tiny

Electrical basics

Solar design

Cabinet making

Choosing a trailer

Towing & moving considerations

HANDS ON BUILDING EXPERIENCE

We are very diverse in our background and skills; many of us had never used power tools before joining LATCH Collective. We take things slow--offering a safe, judgment-free environment to learn how to use tools, measure, and assemble various materials and components. You will feel more confident building your own home after gaining experience building LATCH projects, including other tiny homes!We also partner with Habitat for Humanity to gain experience building while supporting our wider community.

TRAILER DESIGN & DELIVERY

Your home is only as good as its foundation. LATCH Collective works directly with the most trusted tiny house trailer company in the US. TrailerMadebuilds their trailers with the DIY builder in mind, ensuring ease of installation for plumbing and electric, as well as engineering the lowest ride height available to increase the space within the home. These trailers are engineered to be foundations for a home, featuring all tube steel construction, structural sill plates on all four foundation walls, a galvanized belly pan supporting and protecting insulation, leveling jacks at all corners, sealed wiring harness and all LED lighting, steel belted radial tires, and a lifetime guarantee on all of their trailers.

FRAMING DESIGN & DELIVERY

The conventional method of building a single family dwelling is "stick built" - with lumber. While wood is a beautiful (and forgiving) material to work with, steel framing is another highly durable option which is lighter in weight and reduces build-site waste. We can help you design your steel frame home using TrailerMade's 3D framing software. We will help you place your custom design order and assist you in the delivery of your framing system. If you are looking for some extra DIY assistance, we can also get you a fully customized DIY shell kit, delivering you everything you need for your tiny house shell.

DIY Builder Support

Once you're ready to build - LATCH Collective is here to help! We try our best to arrange a build site for those who don't have their own space. We organize workshops and co-learning around the projects you need help with. We offer our DIY Builders access to the co-building pool of LATCH Learners ready to help with the task at hand. We're growing a library of tools available for our DIY builders, so they can avoid large purchases that will only serve them for a limited time.

SUPPORT FOR YOUR SERVICES

Once you have some experience under your belt, you may want to share your skills and services with other DIYers and tiny house enthusiasts. We have developed a professional associates network to connect you to target audiences in Southern California! We can also support you in leading educational workshops through LATCH Collective.